When Beth was a young teenager, she wrote a public blog post with the title, “Why I love Beth.” It listed the top ten reasons people love her. I don’t remember all the details, but at the time, it made me laugh. That’s the thing about Beth. She makes you laugh. Sometimes, it’s because she’s genuinely funny, other times…well, at other times, it’s more of a laugh that says, “wow, you’re so delightfully weird.”
Beth recently turned 19. For her birthday, she decided that she really really wanted something special. The week of her birthday, she drove two hours and came home with this.
Did I tell you that she didn’t tell anyone else she was buying a lamb, other than her brother? That’s right…my parents didn’t know. She tried a kitten a few weeks before, but it was a little young to be separated from its family– it was too loud. She returned it to its family, until it grew a little older. Soo…after the kitten, she decided to try a lamb. It was too loud as well. But instead of returning it, she bought another one.
She heard that having two sheep was better than having one, because they are in the herd category and like company. My parents did know about the second. I was surprised they let her keep the first, let alone the second…but it WAS her birthday.
She also had a birthday party. I think most 19 year-old birthday parties are pretty low-key. You know, maybe a party that resembles a grad party, or on a lake, or at a bowling alley…or maybe they even drink illegally. Beth’s party had about 40-60 people attending. The party was in full swing for about four hours, during which the human mass was playing volleyball, swimming, lighting off fireworks, starting massive bonfires, eating lots of food, playing instruments, and uh, did I mention there was a mechanical bull? And the massive bonfire almost burned the forest down.
I gotta admit. I tried the mechanical bull. I also joined the fire brigade with the hose.
Yup, Beth is a pretty special person. There is a pretty big age gap between the two of us. When I married, she was still only fourteen. Around sixteen, I started hearing a difference in the way we communicated. She went from being my little sister, to a real friend, who loved and ached and saw things in a very personal way. Living life with her has been a privilege—and I look forward to seeing the crazy adventures she has coming her way!
Oh yeah–and proof that we are sisters. This pictures somewhat embarrasses me, but it makes me laugh uncontrollably every time I see it.
